Electric signal-light for railway-switches.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

No. 769,486.V

J. MOIELL. ELECTRIC SIGNAL LIGHT EUR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

Ummm

PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904 J. MoEELL. ELECTRIC SIGNAL LIGHT POR RAILWAYSWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1903.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES` Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON MCFELL, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,486, datedSeptember 6, 1904.

Application filed September 28, 1903. Serial No.V 174,860. (No model.)

To r/,/ '1171/0711 it may] concern,.-

Be it known that I, JUDsoN MeFnLL, a citizen oil the UnitedStates,i'esicling at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot'Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in ElectricSignal-Lights for Railway-Switches, of which the following is aspecilication, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings,forming a part thereof.

The purpose ot' this invention is to provide an improved means formounting and protecting the electric circuit extending to an electriclamp employed in a sig'nal-light for railway-switch applicable toexisting forms ot' switch-stands.

It Consists in the features of construction set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a partly-sectional elevation of the standfor the customary switch-operating-lever mechanism with its signal lighthaving the lamp-support and other features of my invention. Fig. 2 is asection at the line 2 2 on Fig. l, showing the same part upon a largerscale than Fig. l. Fig'. 3 is a section at the line 3 3 on 'Fig'. 2.Fig'. 4 is a bottom plan ot' the lamp-housing support, broken away insect-ion at one part to show a set-screw. Fig. is a detail section atthe line 5 5 on Fig. 2, showing the parts on a larger scale than saidFig'. l.

The switch-operating mechanism forming no part of my invention is notshown in detail; but in the drawings I represents the verticalroclr-shat't, whose rotation for setting' the switch also sets thesignal-light, whose lens-carrier or lamp-housing' is shown in thedrawings in position for giving' the appropriate signal. Said lenscarrier or lamphousing is secured to the annular base 3, which has atone side a stem I at right angles therewith adapted to be inserted in asocket 5 in the lever-arm 6, which a casting mounted upon the upper endof said shaft .l and having' said socket offset from the shaft andhaving' protruding upwardly in line with the shaft the stud or post T,which thus stands up centrally within the annular base 3 of thelamp-housing.

8 8 are conduits for the electric-circuit wires to supply any number ot'switch-lights in the yard or system to which the one shown in thedrawings may belong. The conduits enter the fuse-box 9, which is locatedadjacent to the base or s\vitehstand lO, which supports theswitch-operating mechanism includingthe vertical shaft l, and from theupper end of said box a conduit Il extends to nearly the height ot' theannular base 3 ot' thelamp-housing and then is deflected horizontally,so as to protrude under said base and be upturned within the samealongside the stud or post 7, which, as stated, is located centrallywithin said base. A tie-plate 1Q is apertured to pass onto the stud 7and also apertured to pass onto the upturned end of the conduit Il. Saidtieplate has above and below it on the stud 7 elastic cushions t'ormedby coiled springs 18 and Il, the whole assemblage being' retained by aCotter-pin l5 above the upper spring. On the upturned end of the conduit1l the tieplate l2 is bound between two nuts 16 and 17. Above the uppernut I7 there is secured on said upturned end ot' the conduit thestandard 18 for the incandescent lamp I9, which is suspended from theoverhanging upper arm 2O of said standard and is thereby heldsubstantially at the intersection of the axes of the several lenses 9.0"20 Q0", mounted in the lamp-housing'. rI` he foot 2l oi' the standard 1Sis lodged on said u pturned end of the conduit Il between two rubbercushions 22 22 and is held by a clam p-n ut 22",screwed onto the end ofthe conduit above the upper cushion. The circuit-wires '24 QI for thelamp extend out from the upper end of the conduit and are threadedthrough an aperture Q5 in the standard and passed thence throughguide-eyes Q6 and 27 and through the insulating-bushing 28 in theY upperhorizontal arm ot` the standard to the lamp-socket 19, which, with thelamp 19 therein, is thereby suspended by means ot' the wire. Thestandard is preferably curved outwardly opposite the lamp-bulb to avoidthe danger ol breaking the lamp from striking the standard in theoscillation of the lamp. The arrangement ot' the circuit-wires in theswitch-box is that which is familiar to electricians and requires nospecitie description beyond noticing that the main-line wires 3l areconnected, respectively, to the conductinglIOQ cept their own.

plates 32 33, which are insulated from each l other on theinsulating-base 34,`and that from said two plates o2 andv 33 the twowires 30 and 3lL lead to the lamp, thus constituting a branch circuitoff from the main circuit. The direct attachment of the wires 3()n and31a is made to binding-posts 35 and 36, set in the insulating-base 34,said binding-posts being connected with the binding-screws 37 38 on theplates 32 and 33, respectively, by fusewires 39 39.

The lamp-housing' is secured in place against unauthorized removal by apadlock 40, engaged through the lower end of the laterallysituated stemlof the annular base 3. This stem is slightl y tapering and rectangular,the socket 5 being of the same form, so that without necessity forexceptional accuracy in construction, and, indeed, so that the parts maybe used without machining, a snug fit and engagement between the stemand its socket is obtained. The annular base is of suliicient interiordiameter to permit the housing' to be lifted off over and around thelamp and its standard, and for convenience of the attendant it may besupported while changing the lamps or cleansing the lenses by having thelaterallysituated stem reinserted in the socket in reverse position-thatis, turned around one hundred and eighty degrees from the position atwhich the housing incloses the lamp-thus avoiding the necessity oflaying it on the ground or otherwise exposing it to injury whileattending to the lamp and also giving it steadiness of positionl forcleansing the lenses.

The connection afforded by the tie-plate l2 from the standard orrock-shaft l to the conduit-arm l1 gives to the lamp the firm support ofsaid shaft and makes it unnecessary to rely upon the stiffness of theconduit 11 or the firmness of its connection to the fuse-box or othersupport. This makes it possible to employ for said conduit ll and itsconnections much lighter parts than would otherwise be necessary, theironly function being to protect the wires and the requirement of strengthbeing that they are not too fragile to be left in said exposedposition-that is, they do not necessarily carry any considerable weightex- The springs between which the tie-plate is interposed on the post 7absorb the jar and vibration which would otherwise rapidly destroy thelamps by causing rupture of the carbon filaments, and the same result isprevented in so far as it might be caused by vibration communicatedthrough the conduit 1l by the rubber cushions between which thelamp-standard 18 is bound to the upturned end of the conduit ll, asdescribed.

The construction shown, which comprises the annular base 3, with thelaterally-situated arm 4 for attaching it to a support on theswitch-stand, is adopted for the purpose of adapting the device to beemployed with the ordinary or common form of lamp-housing made for usewithother form of lamp, such lamp-housings being commonly constructed atthe upper part, as shown in the lamp-housing in the drawings, having atthe lower part a cylindrical neck 41, at which it can be cut off fromthe lower portion and secured to the annular base 3, as illustrated.

A distinct and important advantage is gained by bringing theconduit-pipes 8 8 upward from their underground course and connectingthem with the switch-box 9 aboveground, as compared with the customaryconstruction for analogous purposes, which is to lead off from the maincircuit-wires in the underground conduit branches into a switch-box. Insaid customary construction the joint between the main conduit and thebranch which must extend upward therefrom to contain the branch wiresbeing necessarily under ground liability to leakage or injury of thejoint by frost permitting the access of moisture and danger ofshort-circuiting is very considerable, and defects necessitating repairsat such points require excavation, and the particular joint at whichsuch attention is necessary can be located only with great diiiiculty.By the construction herein shown all junctions in the conduit for thepurpose of branching are above ground, being, in fact, merely thejunctions of the conduits 8 8 with the switch-box. Inspection andrepairs are rendered easy and the danger of short-circuiting greatlydiminished.

I claimv l. vA switch signal-light comprising, in combination with theswitch -standard, a lamphousing mounted thereabove and supportedthereon; an electric lamp and a conduit for the circuit-wires theretoextending underneath the lamp-housing; a lamp-standard mounted on theconduit and extending up into the housing for carrying the lamp therein,and a tieplate fast to the conduit and supported pivotally on theswitch-standard.

2. A switch signal-light comprising, in combination with a verticalrotatable switch-standard, a lamp-housing mounted thereabove andsupported thereon; an electric lamp and a conduit for the circuit-wiresleading thereto extending under the housing; a standard extending uptherefrom for carrying the lamp within the housing; a tie-plate rigidwith the cond uit pivotally connected with the standard about the axisof the latter, and elastic cushions between which the tie-plate is boundat its said pivotal connection.

3. An electric switch-signal light comprising, in combination with thevertical rotatable switch-standards, a lamp-housing mounted thereaboveand supported thereby; an electric lamp in the. housing, and a conduitfor the circuit-wires leading thereto, extending under the housing; astandard mounted on said conduit for carrying the lamp in the housing;means by which the conduit obtains IIO IIS

support from the switch-standard. and elastic cushions between which thelamp-standard is bound at its fastening' to the conduit.

4. ln an electric switch-sig'nal lig'ht, in combination with thevertical and rotatable switchstandard, a lever-arm fast upon the upperend thereof, having' a non-circular tapering' socket offset from theaxis, and the lamp-housing having' an open annular base provided with alaterally-situated tapering' stem to tit the socket, said socket andstem being' adapted for fitting' the latter into the former in twopositions, one, that at which the housing' is located above thestandard, and the other a position at which it is offset therefrom.

5. A switch signallig'ht comprising, in combination with aswitch-standard, a lam p-housing'mounted thereabove and supportedthereon; an electric lamp within the housing', and an exterior conduitfor circuit-wires leading thereto pivotally supported on the standard.

6. A switch signal-light comprising' in combination with aswitch-standard, alamp-housing mounted thereabove and supported thereon;an electric lamp within the housing; a conduit for the circuit-wiresleading to the lamp provided with means for supporting' the latter, andpivotally supported on the standard.

T. A switch signal-light comprising', in combination with aswitch-standard, a lamp-housing mounted thereabove and supportedthereon;an electric lamp within the housing; a conduit for the circuit-wiresleading' to the lamp, provided with means for supporting' the lamp, saidconduit having pivotal connection with the standard and elastic cushionsinterposed between the same and the standard at said pivotal connection.

8. A switch signal-light comprising', in combination withaswitch-standard, a lamp-housing mounted thereabove and supportedthereon; an electric lamp within the housing; a conduit fol` thecircuit-wires leading' to the lamp; a standard for supporting' the lampsecured to the conduitand elastic cushions interposed between saidconduit and the lamp-standard at the point of fastening' of one to theother.

9. ln a switch signal-light, a support for the lamp-housing' consisting'of an annular base adapted to be made fast to said housing', said basehaving' a laterally-situated arm for mounting' it on the standard.

lO. In a switch sig'nal-light structure, in combination with an electriclamp and the housing' and standard for the same, a switchbox mounted inthe vicinity of the standard; underground conduits for the inleading andoutleading' wires, both emerging' from the ground and connected aboveground with the switch-box; circuit-wiresin said conduits, andconnections for the same in the switch-box.

.ln testimony whereof 1 have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftwo witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 23d day of September, A. D.1903.

JUDSON M CFELL.

In presence ofm CHAs. BURTON, FRED. Gr. FISCHER.

